"I tried to think of the most harmless thing... something that could never destroy us."

Since Salt Lake County began permitting early voting last Friday, I took advantage of the opportunity to make my voice heard. Now I can stop listening to the ads... not that I listened in the first place, but at least I don't have to think about it any longer.

I voted split-ticket, but in the most important race, my vote was cast for Barack Hussein Obama.

If you care to know why, My voting history looks like this:

Election Year

Age

Democrat

Republican

My Vote

Winner

Comments

1968

17

Humphrey

Nixon

D

R

Would have voted D

1972

21

McGovern

Nixon

D

R

1976

25

Carter

Ford

R

D

1980

29

Carter

Reagan

R

R

1984

33

Mondale

Reagan

R

R

1988

37

Dukakis

Bush

R

R

1992

41

Clinton

Bush

R

D

1996

45

Clinton

Dole

Perot

D

2000

49

Gore

Bush

R

R

2004

53

Kerry

Bush

R

R

2008

57

Obama

McCain

D

?

In my radical college days, I fell squarely in in the Democratic camp. As I began to get paychecks and noticed the size of my tax deductions, my preferences swung towards less government and fewer entitlement programs. Enter the "Establishment Phase"

Now, things have changed.

This is our beautiful country:

This is our beautiful country after 8 years of Bush doctrine:

This what I fear our beautiful country would look like after 4 years of a McCain/Palin ticket (or Palin/McCain, depending on whom you listen to).

So my reasoning was as follows:

1) Whatever you may think of Bush - and I voted for him - It's clear his administration has failed. We desperately need something different at this point in history, a new directon in policy that will pull our economy and our global reputation out of the toilet. I don't see enough difference between the existing administration and a McCain presidency to give me any hope that this is possible.

2) Sarah Louise Heath Palin scares the living $h17 out of me. To think of her one heartbeat away from the Oval Office is code brown in the shorts. Now I'm sure she's a great mom and a great human being, but she's clearly out of her league on the global stage, and I'm betting that in the dark of night at 2:00 AM while John McCain lies in bed worrying about things, he must be asking himself "What the hell was I thinking?" It says a lot as well about those whom he is allowing to spin his campaign and influence his choices.

3) Obama's pretty light on global experience as well, but the experience he has is the right kind, and he's smart, articulate, and seems willing to think outside the box. I don't agree with everything on the Democratic platform, but I don't agree with everything on the Republican platform, either. I'm willing to make some sacrifices for the greater good.

4) I considered voting Libertarian or Green - i.e. "None of the Above", but whoever wins, I want to be able to support them with my voice. No other candidate has a snowball's chance in hell of winning, so I have to choose between the evil of two lessers. If Obama wins, well. If McCain wins, I'll have to stand behind him as the CinC, pray that he doesn't drop dead of a heart attack, and continue to voice my own concerns through my elected representatives.

5) Lastly, and certainly not least: I've been praying for guidance since the beginning of the campaign season, seeking the wisdom to vote for the candidate who would do the best job for our nation. I went to the voting office not knowing what my choice would be. But when I stood over the screen, with my finger poised above the two candidates, there seemed to be no question. I'll call that inspiration.

So there you have it. For good or for ill, my support goes to the fresh face and the fresh outlook. It really does come down to hope for a better future for all of us. That's all I want... a world where everyone wins.

This is not meant as an invitation to a debate. I respect the choices of my friends and colleagues, and politics is a touchy subject. But we live in troubled times, and I want to make sure my voice counts.

You may understand how much agony I've been through over the last two years. And the choice was - even though I felt inspired - agonizing to make.

If I have to wear the scarlet "T for Traitor" on my coat for the next four years, so be it. Either choice was a calculated risk, so this is what came out of the line priner after I had submitted my deck...